Osiris did not immediately initiate the genetic modification program on the thirty candidates.
After confirming that they were properly settled in the biological laboratory of the "Eternal Quest" and had begun preparatory training, including basic physical fitness maintenance, environmental adaptation adjustment, and continuous physiological indicator monitoring, he temporarily handed over the daily operation and management authority of the warship to the technical priest Ignis.
His focus then shifted to a longer-term plan with potential returns far exceeding those of the current biological experiments. This stemmed from the intelligence he possessed about the Warhammer 40k universe before he traveled to this world.
In the hive world of Necromunda, there exists a place called "Ronker Town," which is controlled by a family called Van Sauer.
Based on these pre-time travel memories, the Van Sauer family's lineage is extremely ancient, dating back to the M21 era of human history, the early stage of what is known as the "Dark Ages of Technology."
The family's ancestors were a group of pioneers who traveled aboard an interstellar colony ship called "Van Sauer".
It is believed that the ship carries a complete STC system—the ultimate technological treasure trove containing countless standardized design and manufacturing templates for rapidly establishing colonies in unknown worlds during the wave of human colonization.
This ill-fated ship encountered misfortune during a long voyage and became lost in the dangerous subspace.
After a long drift, sometime after the Great Rebellion and before the M35 era, it finally managed to escape the subspace turbulence, but its navigation and propulsion systems were severely damaged, and it eventually crashed on the desolate surface of Necromunda.
The survivors on board relied on the severely damaged but partially functional STC system after the crash to gradually rebuild the technological foundation and grow stronger in the process.
Leveraging the technological advantages brought by STC that were ahead of their time, they gradually accumulated enormous wealth and influence, ultimately standing strong through thousands of years of change and becoming one of the six major families that ruled Necromunda during the M41 era.
Osiris' core objective is the legendary STC system that originated with the Van Sauer family.
Even if it was severely damaged in the crash, any technical blueprints, data cores, or even some functional modules that might have survived in its wreckage would be supreme relics for the Cult of Mechanics, enough to launch an interstellar holy war.
The standardized construction knowledge contained in STC is the ultimate benchmark for measuring the level of technology in humanity's golden age. Any discovery related to it will cause a sensation on Mars and in the thousands of casting worlds therein.
More importantly, according to the information Osiris remembered, the Van Sauer family's STC system was not completely silent, but was still able to maintain some operation after the crash.
This detail elevates its value to an immeasurable new level.
Even if an STC that still has some function is only intermittently operating or can only output a limited data stream, its significance far exceeds that of archaeological discoveries that have completely died out.
This means that there is the possibility of direct interaction, replication, and even repair, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the entire history of Mechanics.
Although Osiris could not be completely certain whether the "Van Sauer" had indeed crashed in Necromunda, nor could he confirm whether "Ronker Town" was the exact location where the legend originated.
Even these pieces of information may simply be folk tales that have been severely distorted through transmission, or deviations arising from his own memory.
However, the potential value inherent in exploration itself, which could reshape the technological landscape of a certain star system, far outweighs the costs and risks involved in the operation.
For a member of the Cult of Mechanics who bears the title of Sage of Exploration, the pursuit of any possible remnants of Dark Age technology is not only a sacred duty, but also an instinctual drive deeply rooted in the core of his logic.
He assembled a team of calibrated intelligent mechs, including one Death Annihilation-class mech, two Fortress-level mechs, and a team of Death Servant mechs.
These combat-automated units are loyal and efficient, making them well-suited for providing protection and support in unknown and potentially dangerous wilderness environments.
He did not make a big show of it; the main purpose of this trip was exploration and research. An excessive display of force might attract unnecessary attention.
Once everything was ready, Osiris led this small, elite exploration team onto a specially modified transport vessel and quietly departed from the "Eternal Quest of Knowledge".
The transport boat's engine hummed low as it adjusted its course and steadily advanced into the vast and dangerous wilderness of Necromunda.
As the transport ship pierced through the thick layer of pollution clouds above the city, the view outside the porthole changed abruptly.
The dark sky, which had been shrouded in industrial fumes, gradually cleared, revealing the true face of the planet's surface—a vast wasteland covered with industrial waste, radioactive dust, and rusted metal debris.
The cracked earth was riddled with bottomless ravines, and abandoned pipes and building skeletons were scattered everywhere like the remains of a giant beast. In the distance, the occasional industrial ruins still emitting smoke could be seen. The whole scene was filled with deathly silence and desolation.
The transport vessel maintained a low cruising altitude of about 100 meters and began a systematic survey of the target area according to the preset scanning mode.
All the sensor arrays beneath the ship were activated, with the multi-spectral scanner, topographic mapping radar, and energy signal detector working simultaneously in a fan-shaped scanning mode to meticulously capture the subtle features of the terrain below and any abnormal energy fluctuations.
On the holographic projection platform inside the cockpit, a three-dimensional model of the terrain below is generated in real time, and any suspicious metallic reaction or energy source will be immediately marked.
Inside the cabin, six intelligent control mechs stood in their fixed positions in a combat-ready posture, their metal shells gleaming coldly under the cabin lighting.
The optical sensor emits a regular, faint flickering light, while the servo motor at the joint remains in standby mode.
These combat robots are pre-loaded with tactical protocols for the wilderness environment. Their sensor arrays are synchronized with the transport ship's main system, ready to respond to any threats that may emerge from the wasteland according to Osiris' instructions—whether they are mutated creatures, out-of-control mechanical creations, or other unknown dangers.
Osiris' mechanical body was firmly connected to the main control interface of the transport ship, and data streams rolled rapidly around the edge of his optical lens.
He was carefully analyzing each set of data transmitted back by the sensors, while comparing it with the vague information in his memory about the location of "Ronker Town".
The journey to find this legendary settlement and the priceless STC system officially begins at this moment.